10/03/2008
Time Area and details of animal Weather: Sunny
Min temp: 21°C
Max temp: 32°C
06:45 Left to pick up staff
07:45 Took staff to the fence to put up electrics.
09:00 On the way back I found a Prickly Pear with the cochineal insect that was not put on by us. That means there are some of the cochineal already on the farm.
10:30 Came back to the office to do e-mails and paper work.
14:00 M+R builders came to fix the roof, we had a meeting and a final look at what must be done.
14:45 Took them up to the lodge to get a quote on fixing bedroom 2 bathroom roof.
15:30 Went to open the gate fro them and on the way I saw 7 x Waterbuck standing on the ryefield, 1 male, 4 females and 2 babies.
16:00 Went to look for more locations to release the cochineal.
16:30 Went to one of the neighboring farms to pick up a small Woodland Dormouse, so that we can release it on the farm. They found it in one of the mattresses of one of their lodges.
17:35 Home.
11/03/2008
Time Area and details of animal Weather: Sunny
Min temp: 20°C
Max temp: 30°C
07:30 Report and e-mail
08:30 Did fact file till 09:45
09:45 Barry came to erect the mast for the radio, helped him get sorted to go up the mountain.
10:30 The builders from M+R Builders came, went over everything, and they got started on fixing the roof.
12:00 Fetched the tractor and water cart from Geluk to take water up to the site where the tower for the radios are to mix cement.
12:45 Left to take water up the mountain, halfway up I got stuck with the tractor and water cart. The tractor couldn’t get a grip on the loose soil halfway up and started to slide backwards. I had to turn to avoid going over the edge; luckily it jackknifed at came to a halt.
13:55 Mike showed up and he got the tractor down, it took till 15:30 to get it down, then he left to go to check on fencing progress.
16:00 Drove back with tractor after we unhitched the water cart. Came to house check on progress roof, they stripped the roof are busy replacing all the rotten wood over the washing room.
12/03/2008
Time Area and details of animal Weather: Sunny
Min temp: 21°C
Max temp: 31°C
Rainfall: 3½mm
06:45 Left for Ladysmith to get the AFTW Vehicle’s central locking fixed.
10:15 Got back home, let the builders in to carry on fixing the roof.
11:00 Went up to the mountain to check on progress putting up the tower.
12:00 Took photo’s of the building process. Came back down to fetch cement and sand.
13:00 Spent the rest of the day up the mountain helping mixing cement and laying the foundation of the tower.
18:00 Finished laying foundation, now we have to wait 8-9 days for cement to set and dry before putting up the mast.
18:45 Took Game guards back to town.
19:30 Home.
13/03/2008
Time Area and details of animal Weather: Cloudy
Min temp: 21°C
Max temp: 24°C
Rainfall: 3mm
07:30 Did report – Started to rain.
09:00 Took staff to fence to carry on putting on the electric fence
10:00 Went up the mountain to fetch the tractor and trailer and water cart.
12:00 Back down from mountain.
12:30 – 16:30 Office – Worked on the fact file for the rest of the day because it started to rain.
14/03/2008
Time Area and details of animal Weather: Cloudy
Min temp: 19°C
Max temp: 23°C
07:30 Reports
08:30 Went to the back o look for prickly pears and to see how the cochineal is doing on those the prickly pears.
09:30 Got to the plants, cochineal is spreading nicely.
10:30 Walked around the area for a bit, saw some other prickly pears with cochineal on them, which means there are cochineal there already attacking the pears.
11:30 Drove to the Ryefield to check on animals like Zebra and Impala and Waterbuck, couldn’t see any of them as it was cloudy and cold. They probably took shelter under the trees and bushes.
12:15 Saw a Martial Eagle in the sky above the ryefield.
13:25 Drove to fence to see how the fencing was progressing.
14:00 Left for Weenan to go pick up Michael and Mandla
15:00 Got them at the Office of Weenan Game Reserve, they were very happy to have gone there and have learned so much during their stay.
16:00 Dropped them in Colenso.
16:30 Picked staff up at farm and took them to Farm Market.
17:30 Home.
